Diver&#39;s watch



Nov. 4, 1969 r p w ss 3,475,902

DIVER S WATCH Filed July 10, 1968 INVENTOR PAUL VESSEL BY m :4

United States Patent ic 3,415,902

Patented Nov. 4, 1969 render the dive absolutely safe, the watch has in addiy asfi tion a bezel 4 with amilled edge and provided with an Paul wessel, Ronnerweg 1a Nidau Swizefland index 5, this bezel being rotatably mounted on the case Filed July 10 1968 Ser. 743,743 of the watch, as well as a minute stop-hand 6 susceptible Claims priority, application Switzerland, July 10, 1967, of e set In motion, pp and returned to Zero y 9,812/ 67 means of a pusher 7. Int. Cl. G04b 19/18 The mark 2, the index 5, the numbers contained in 53126 4 Clalms the cartouches 3 and the end of the minute stop-hand 6 are covered with luminescent material, for allowing their reading in the darkness.

The watch described is used as follows:

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A divers watch, comprising on its periphery a set of Let us assume that the diver wishes to make a dive at numbers indicating the depth at which the diver can stay a depth of 43 meters. It is sufiicient to turn the bezel 4 so during a time corresponding to the position of each numas to bring its index 5 opposite the number 43, i.e. to her, said time being proportional to the angle formed turn the bezel by 120 in the clockwise direction, and between the noon of the dial and said number, a bezel to set in motion the minute stop-hand 6 by actuating the provided with an index, rotatably mounted on the watchpusher 7, said hand having been previously returned to case, and a minute stop-hand, the whole being such that zero, i.e. to noon. The diver may efit'ect these operafor a dive at a given depth, it suffices to turn the bezel tions immediately before diving or when he has reached so as to bring its index opposite the number indicating the depth desired. When the hand 6 arrives opposite the said depth and to start the minute stop-hand, the diver number 43, Le. after a stay of 20 minutes, the diver being warned that he has to go up again when said hand is warned that he must go up again and has to effect a arrives opposite the index of the bezel. decompression stage at a depth of 3 meters during 5 minutes. The following table indicates the depths and the times The present invention relates to a divers watch, comduring which the diver can stay at these depths. In the prising on its periphery a series of numbers indicating first case (first line), no decompression stage is provided the depth at which the diver can stay during a time corfor; a decompression stage of 5 minutes at a depth of 3 responding to the position of each number, which time is meters is provided for in the second case (second line), proportional to the angle formed between the noon of and in the third case (third line of the table), there is the dial and the said number, a bezel provided with an provided for a decompression stage of 7 minutes at a index, rotatably mounted on the case of the watch, and depth of 6 meters and a decompression stage of 20 mina minute stop-hand, the whole being arranged in such utes at a depth of 3 meters.

TABLE 5min. 10min. 15 min. 20 min. 25min. 30 min. min. min. min. min. min.

Depth in meters without (1.5 40 36 32 28 26 24 22 21 Depth in meters with one d.s. or 5 minutes at a depth of 3 meters 76 58 49 48 37 33 31 28 26 24 22 Depth in meters with a d.s. of 7 minutes at a depth of 6 meters and a d.s. of 20 minutes at a depth of 3 meters 91 79 64 55 49 43 35 33 31 29 27 d.s. decompresslon stage. min. =rnmutes.

a way that for a dive at a given depth, it is suflicient to If the watch is adapted to control dives without any turn the bezel so as to bring its index opposite the nurn- 45 decompression stage, the cartouches 3 shall contain the her indicating the said depth and to start the minute numbers indicated in the first line of the above table. If stop-hand, the diver being Warned that he has to go up the diver wishes to make a decompression stage of 5 minagain when the said hand arrives opposite the index of utes at a depth of 3 meters, he has to use a watch such the bezel. as that illustrated. If he wishes to make two decompres- The accompanying drawing illustrates, by way of ex- 50 sion stages, namely one of 7 minutes at a depth of 6 ample, an embodiment of the invention. meters and one of 20 minutes at a depth of 3 meters, he The single figure is a plan view of said embodiment. has to use a watch in which the cartouches 3 contain the The divers watch illustrated in the drawing comnumbers set forth in the third line of the above table. prises a dial 1 carrying, at noon, a mark 2 and, on its Besides the minute stop-hand 6, the watch includes two periphery, a series of cartouches 3 containing numbers 55 ordinary hands 8 and 9 indicating the hours and the minindicating the depth at which the diver can stay during utes, respectively.

a time corresponding to the position of each number, After a dive, the equilibrium of the pressures of the which time is proportional to the angle formed bet-ween nitrogen dissolved in the organism and of the atmospheric the mark 2 of noon and the said number. The carnitrogen is progressively restored. The elimination of touches might also be placed on a tension ring for the nitrogen in excess is slower and slower as this excess decrystal. Thus, in the example shown, which relates to the creases and it is assumed that 6 hours are necessary for case in which the diver effects a decompression stage of its disappearance. If a further dive is effected in this 5 minutes at a depth of 3 meters, the diver can stay at a interval, the excess of nitrogen still present in the orgadepth of 76 meters during 5 minutes, at a depth of 58 nism is added to the amount dissolved during this second meters during 10 minutes, at a depth of 49 meters durdive. At the moment of going up again, the amount of ing 15 minutes, etc. The time is therefore simply indinitrogen dissolved in the body will, therefore, be greater cated in minutes by the scale of the dial 1. than in the case of a single dive eitected at the same depth The watch such as described up to now would be and of the same duration. The simple diving table does theoretically already usable, but in the practice its use no longer guarantee the security and it is necessary to would be dangerous, since the diver should remember eifect a longer decompression. There exists, for this purthe time during which he is authorized to stay at the pose, a table for successive dives mentioning a so-called depth chosen and might make a mistake. In order to coefficient C. This coeificient is the ratio between the pressure of nitrogen dissolved in the tissues of the organism that are the slowest ones to 'be normalized after the return to the surface, and the pressure of nitrogen which normally exists in said tissues.

The table for successive dives gives, in function of this coefficient C, of the interval between both dives and of the depth of the second dive, an additional duration for the decompression stages, which allows to use the simple diving table. The coeflicient C ranges from 1.1 to 2.0 and is indicated at 10 on the rim of the bezel 4.

What is claimed is:

1. A divers watch comprising a watch case, a dial plate disposed in said watch case, a series of numbers including an index disposed on the periphery of said dial plate, said numbers indicating the depth at which the diver can stay during a time period corresponding to the position of each of said numbers, said time period 'being proportional to the angle formed between said index of the dial and each of said numbers, a bezel provided with an index, rotatably mounted on said case, and time indicating means including a minute stop-hand, whereby upon turning said bezel so as to bring its index opposite one of said numbers indicating a desired depth and the starting of said minute stop-hand, the diver is made aware of both the time the assent must begin and the stages of decompression.

2. A divers watch according to claim 1, characterized in that the numbers indicating the depth are contained in cartouches carried by the dial.

3. A divers watch according to claim 1, wherein said index on said dial is located at the noon of said dial. 4. A divers watch according to claim 1, characterized in that the indexes, numbers and hands necessary for an easy reading in depth, are luminous.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,564,270 8/1951 McMillen 5 8126 3,111,003 11/1963 Droz 58--126 3,124,928 3/1964 Brunet 5857 3,427,800 2/ 1969 Blum 58-126 FOREIGN PATENTS 350,250 12/ 1960 Switzerland.

365,027 1 l/ 1962 Switzerland.

378,789 7/ 1964 Switzerland.

436,140 1 l/1967 Switzerland.

RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner STANLEY A. WAL, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R., 58-152 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,475,902 November 4, 1969 Paul Wessel It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the heading to the printed specification, line 3, "Paul Wessel, Ronnerweg la, Nidau, Switzerland" should read Paul Wessel, Nidau, Switzerland, assignor to OMEGA Louis Brand1 G Frere SA, Canton of Berne, Switzerland Column 3, line 25 "assent" should read ascent Signed and sealed this 27th day of October 1970.

( E Attest:

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, 1

Commissioner of Paten Edward M. Fletcher, J r.

Attesting Officer 

